Flat for egg-cases.



J. H. CARTER.

Fm FOR EGG CASES. APPLICATION Fl LED JULY 8.1916.

1,293,331 Patented Feb. 1, 1919.

wwgmg tion.

' cellular cases for the emrnn sunrise Parana llFFlQE.

JAMES H. CARTER, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLAT FOR EGG-CASES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 8, 1916. Serial No. 108,106.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. CARTER, a citizen of the'United States, and a resident of the .city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flats for Egg- Cases, of which the following is a specifica- My invention has relation to containers or cases for the storage and shipment of eggs and more particularly to the member known as the flat that is employed in purpose of dividing one unit of cells or compartments from those above or below the same.

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a flat that is adapted to retain both the upper and the lower edges of each wall of both upper and lower cells or egg compartments in proper posit-ion so as to prevent movement of the rows of eggs stored therein and the consequent breakage of a quantity of e gs in rough handling. Another object 0 my inventlon is the provision of an egg-case flat that may be stamped from a single piece of fiber-board by one operation which forms projections upon both faces thereof so that a single flat will be capable of acting in the capacity of a retainer for the lower edges of the cellular walls of an upper unit and at the same time perform the same function for the upper edges of a unit disposed next below said flat. Further objects of my invention are to provide a flat for egg-cases that is simple to manipulate,

' in operation and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

I prefer to accomplish the divers objects of my invention by the means and in the manner hereinafter described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings forming a part of this specification, wherein- I .Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a cornerof my improved flat for egg-cases, with the cellular units removed to better illustrate the disposition of the projections.

Fig. 2 is a top trated in Fig. 1. 1

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, showingportions of the cellular units in position.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a slightly modified construction of my invention, and

plan of the fragment illus- Fig. 5 is a top planof a corner fragment the modified structure illustrated in 1g. *1.

Referring more particularly to Figs. '1, 2

and 3 of the drawings, it will be observed same time to form both the bottom and top walls of adjacent superposed cells. The cellular units are preferably constructed of the usual longitudinal and transverse intersecting walls 11 and 12, thatare'provided with any desired interlocking means for the purpose of retaining them in substantially upright position when in use and whereby they may be readily collapsed or folded, as is well known, when not in use. The cells formed by these walls 11 and 12 are substantially rectangular in outline, and in order to provide means for preventing their upper and laterally, I have provided the a plurality of upwardly and downwardly projecting tongues or flaps l3 and 14 respectively, that are constructed and arranged in the following manner: these tongues or flaps, suitable crescent or segmental shaped cuts are made in the blank forming the flat and the material included within the contour of the cuts is bent or folded upwardly or downwardly, as thecase may be. The tongues 13 which are adapted these tongues 13 will engage each wall of a cell upon the opposite sides at the lower edge thereof and thus pre vent that portion of the wall from being moved any great distance laterally. The

downwardly projecting tongues or flaps 14: the same shape as the are of substantially tongues or flaps 13 and are bent downwardly from the underside of point of intersection between the walls 11 and 12 and thus prevent lateral movement of the upper edges of the cell. It will thus be lower edges from being moved fiat 10 with In order to shape is interposed between two the flatsoas toengage the upper edges of the under unit at the seen that each cell ofv a single unit is proshape in outline and are punched so surface of the flat.

tected against lateral movement of its walls by the downwardly projecting tongues or flaps 1a of the upper fiat, and also by the upwardly projecting tongues or flaps 13 of the lower fiat.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown a slightly modified construction of my invention. The fiat 15 is preferably twice the length-of the flat 10 shown inthe preferred construction, and the projections preferably comprise tongues or flaps 16 that are of segmental. that all project upwardly from one and the same These tongues or flaps 16 are positioned so as to engage the walls of the cells intermediate the intersections, and whenthe fiat is ready for use the same is folded transversely, as at 17 (Fig. 4) so as to dispose the flaps or tongues 16 in position to project both upwardly and downwardly from the folded flat and thereby engage the upper and lower edges of the respective cell walls.

lVhile I have herein described and illustrated certain specific means for carrying out my invention, it of course will be obvious to others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, that divers modifications or refinements thereof are possible without ma.- teria-lly departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore desire it understood that all such changes and modifications are contemplated within the scope of my 1nvention as expressed in the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as new is 1. In a device of the kind described the combination with a plurality of cellular units, each unit formed of strips intersecting each other to form the four walls of each cell, of fiats dividing and separating said units, each fiat provided with a plurality of projections arranged in intersecting rows of each cell between the corners and so disposed that four oppositely arranged projections are adapted to engage the respective four walls of each cell adj'a-' cent thereto and at points intermediate the intersections of the wall strips.

2. In a device of the kind described the combination with aplurality of cellular units each unit formed of strips intersecting each other to form the four walls of each cell, offlats dividing and separating said units, each fiat provided with tongues projecting from both sides thereof, the tongues projecting from one side of said fiat being in intersecting rows and between the points of intersection adapted .to engage all the walls of said cells, and the tongues projecting from the other side of said flat being in intersecting rows in the corners of the intersections and adapted to engage all the walls of each cell at the corners of each cell.

3. In a device of the kind described the combination with a plurality of cellular units each formed of a plurality of inter!- secting strips, of flats interposed between said units, each fiat comprising a strip of material provided with tongues projecting from one side, said strip adapted to be folded transversely mediate its ends so as to provide a fiat having tongues projecting from opposite sides thereof, said tongues arranged in rectangular figures wherebyt he four walls of each cell are engaged at their upper edges intermediate their corners and at each corner of their upper edges.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, this 2d day of June, 1916.

JAMES H. CARTER. 

